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the right to health independence at home.

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Together we can make a difference in health – our care, supports and services, and how we access and navigate between them. Join the movement for independence, and the ability to choose our own health solutions so that we and the ones we love can age gracefully and healthfully.

Posted Jan. 4, 2016 | The year 2015 was full of celebration, dedication and recommitment to the movement for independence. Following the momentous anniversaries of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Older Americans Act, the Social Security Act, Medicare and Medicaid, and IDEA, each of us at the National Advisory Board has been reenergized to make a difference in health – our care, supports and services, and how we access and navigate between them. During this past year, we have deepended and broadened our effort to modernize the health care infrastructure in America and drive long-term supports and services to the forefront of health care transformation.

We would like to use this space to thank all those who played a huge role in advancing the movement for independence, and the ability to choose our own health solutions and social supports so we and the ones we love can age gracefully and healthfully. We look forward to working with you this New Year!

The Columbus Dispatch: Suicides in nursing homes hard to track, preventSuicides among older adults remain disturbingly high despite improved screening and treatment for depression. And although there is growing awareness about suicide, the one area in which it is less documented, not very well understood and much more hidden is in nursing homes, advocates say. — Encarnacion Pyle (Feb. 22)

Grist: Mountaintop removal country’s mental health crisisThe physical health tragedies of mountaintop removal mining towns have been deeply, grimly reported elsewhere... You have heard the stories of what the king has done to the land, the towns, the body. Now we are beginning to learn something new: He is also at work on the mind. — Clayton Aldern (Feb. 17)

The Guardian: How the disability voting bloc could swing the 2016 electionRespectAbility is one group that’s hoping to promote voting in the disability community with outreach on these issues. The group is surveying and educating candidates on disability issues and conveying responses to disabled voters and other interested parties. Their hope, as with other disability activists, is to increase voter participation and push candidates to do better on disability issues. — S.E. Smith (Feb 15)

Modern Healthcare: Virtual reality -- More insurers are embracing telehealthLooking ahead, telehealth advocates and providers see seniors on Medicare as the next major arena for growth. Roughly 1 in 5 people older than 65 live outside of a metropolitan area, and seniors usually have worse access to primary-care physicians and specialists if they live in rural areas. Many older adults in urban and suburban areas also face difficulties traveling to their doctors' offices for frequent appointments. — Bob Herman (Feb. 20)

The New York Times: Governors Devise Bipartisan Effort to Reduce Opioid AbuseAlarmed at an epidemic of drug overdose deaths, the National Governors Association decided over the weekend to devise treatment protocols to reduce the use of opioid painkillers. The guidelines are likely to include numerical limits on prescriptions, or other restrictions, governors said. — Robert Pear (Feb. 21)

Stateline: Coverage for Autism Treatment Varies by StateSince 2001, 44 states have begun requiring some insurance plans to cover ABA for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. But the rules are all different, making for uneven coverage across states.. The mandates don’t apply to those companies, often large, that insure their own workers. In some states, small businesses are not required to offer coverage. Depending on the state, coverage may be available to state employees, Medicaid recipients and people purchasing insurance in the marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. — Jen Fifield (Feb. 19)

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Our 6 Declarations for Independence for seniors and people living with disabilities in America.